Skilled health care is given to the person in his home by visiting nurse associations, local health departments, or other private or hospital-affiliated home health care departments. Such care is given to avoid hospitalization of the ill person or to assist the person after discharge from the hospital of nursing home.
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Home care has advantages for the person who needs help but does not need acute, specialized hospital services or who has a home (rather than the nursing home) to return to for rehabilitation or long-term care. The person can remain in a familiar setting where personal preferences and routines can be maintained. Further, the cost of care is considerably less to the patient / family or the taxpayer. Increasing emphasis is being placed on home health care services.
(Murray, RB and Zentner JP., Nursing Concepts for Health Promotion, Second Edtion, Prentice-Hall, Inc, Englewood Cliffs, N.J, 1979).
